Tooth flossing has become an important mode of maintaining the health of one's gums and teeth. One mode of flossing is accomplished by simply tearing a portion of floss from a dispenser and wrapping the floss about the fingers of two hands for insertion into the oral cavity. This approach is frought with problems. It can be an uncomfortable exercise since the floss can be tightened about the fingers to the extent that it actually becomes painful. Furthermore, it can be difficult to gain access to certain portions of the oral cavity because of the size and position of the fingers about which the floss is wrapped.
Devices have been developed to permit flossing without the need to employ the fingers as the carrier for the floss. Such devices have taken many forms none of which proved entirely satisfactory. Some earlier dental floss holders were forked shaped and provided prongs on which the floss could be secured. The fork could be moved relative to the handle and fixed in a desired location. For this purpose a thumb screw was provided to engage complementary apertures to secure the fork in the selected position. Such a device did not carry a spool for continually furnishing a source of floss material. Consequently, the user was required to keep a separate source of material and draw from that separate source each time the exposed floss on the device required replacement.
Other devices which did provide spools were extremely complicated, bulky, and consequently, are expensive to manufacture and difficult to use. An example of such a device has outwardly projecting arms on a supporting frame with the arms spaced from each other a distance to receive teeth therebetween. Guide members carried by the outer ends of the arms receive and permit relative movement of the dental floss as it passes from a supply reel to a take-up reel. Forward and rearward angular movement is imparted alternatively to the reels. The forward angular movment is greater than the rearward angular movement whereby the dental floss is reciprocated back and forth between the armsand moves progressively forward to the take-up reel.
To accomplish this interaction a number of moving parts are required. The supply reel and take-up reel are arranged in a housing above the actuating mechanism and the motor with its power supply. Such a system is inordinately complicated, expensive, bulky, and depends on the quality of the power supply for proper operation.
Applicant's invention overcomes many of the problems associated with flossing devices which have existed heretofore. It is relatively simple in design while accomplishing many of the needs of the user perferably with only moving part. It is adjustable to permit access to otherwise difficult to reach portions of the oral cavity. A relatively small but sufficient supply spool is provided to achieve for the device a relatively slim profile. The floss carrier includes a mechanism to prevent the floss from becoming disengaged from the device during use. The head of the device which carries the floss is movable between a number of positions to permit the most comfortable configuration for the user. Furthermore, the prong configuration is one which limits exposure of the floss to sharp edges which could sever the floss during use. A cut-off knife is provided adjacent a take-up reel where spent floss can be cut and discarded.
The above has been a discussion of some of the problems associated with the prior art and features of the invention which overcome these problems. Other advantages of the invention will be apparent from the detailed discussion of the invention which will follow.